[HaVoC-28]

M-Stage was a very good match with my K702 , and opamp rolling is a great thing , @ tdockweiler and chicolom , i think you will really enjoy M-stage with your Q701 , m-stage as 4 gain settings wich help a lot too . i Compared it to a LD MK3 wich sounded bad with my K702 ... highs totally rolled off , bass not well controled , and seams a lack of clarity in comparaison to m-stage , and too much warmth ...
 
On my M-Stage i tryed 2*OPA627BP (guenines one from farnell expensive but ...) thy are far better than Stock OPA in every aspects , peraphs a bit laid back  but with Class A biasing mod (tryed it some months later , it become beter for me , more forward ,  less dark , clarity seams better , tryed too AD797 very mids centric , more soundstage than OPA627 and even more clarity . But my favorite one with K702 was OPA MOON from audio gd after some weeks they was and are really the best one i heard with my M-Stage + K702 , a great soundstage a bit more warm than the other but still ok , more bodied than other too , and great with details and instruments layering , but it's just my opinion

.
 
Actually using a Audio GD C2.1 wich is even better than M-stage ,  ACSS mode with NFB-2 work wonderfully , and i still can do opa rolling on RCA mode (currently using OPa moons too , really like this ones , but i mostly use ACSS , RCA and opa moons time to time when i went something a bit different from ACSS) .
 
Despite audio GD opas are less on the hype now i still think they are good ones . 
 

 

[Xqs1988]

I have a K701, but BUMP!!

 

[chicolom]

Hey fellow "Q" owners, what's your guys' serial number for your headphones? 
 
Mine is 04165...

 

[tdockweiler]

I've got 05171
I've got the black version. Looks pretty nice, but I really wanted to get the white version but it's more expensive for some reason.
 
Kept switching between my SR-225i and Q701 last night. SR-225i is a little more engaging, but the Q701 is probably my favorite headphone now.
I've had it for maybe 1 1/2 months now and I haven't had a single complaint. Sometimes it's easy to complain about how it sounds, but then it's usually just the recording!
DJ100 is still my favorite portable, closed headphone, but it's stupid annoying how it requires a specific amp to sound good. Straight out of a portable CD player my SR-225 sounds much better.
 
Seems the Micro Amp + HRT Music Streamer II is the perfect match for a Grado or AKG Q701.

 

[discombob]

It is truly amazing how balanced the Q701 sounds.  Just natural and unoffensive.  I purchased one and didn't realize how good it was until comparing it to a friend's Senn HD600, which just sounded messy and dark up top in comparison.  The vocal-area midrange on the Q were still a little too recessed for me because I was used to listening to Sony and Grado, but some EQ'ing fixed that.
 
Even the bass can be boosted in EQ on these to be satisfactory (though I'm not a basshead at all) and the entire smooth and highly detailed nature of them remains unaffected.  That big soundstage can be distracting at first, but once you give your head a chance to break in to this presentation style, it isn't as crazy sounding.
 
All in all, I am quite satisfied and will be selling my other phones soon to just stick with this smooth all-rounder, because everything else head-fi I've heard so far has had some kind of strange and glaring presentation gimmick that distracts from the music.  Speakers have always sounded much better.  My first head-fi meet in Seattle in January is going to give me some more impressions of other gear and I'll see how these Q701 cans compare to my favorite auditions there.

 

[chicolom]

Quote:

I've got 05171
I've got the black version. Looks pretty nice, but I really wanted to get the white version but it's more expensive for some reason.

 
Same here with the black version.  It looks the best of the three to me; I prefer the matte black to glossy finishes that would scratch easier.
 
I saw in the comment section at Headfonia Mike was comparing the Micro amp to the M-stage.  It looks like you asked the question (too many similarities for it not to be you

)
 
Sounds like the micro amps still holds it's own - But I can never tell if he's referring to the stock m-stage or the modded/upgraded m-stage when he talks about it...
 
 
 

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

 
Same here with the black version.  It looks the best of the three to me; I prefer the matte black to glossy finishes that would scratch easier.
 
I saw in the comment section at Headfonia Mike was comparing the Micro amp to the M-stage.  It looks like you asked the question (too many similarities for it not to be you

)
 
Sounds like the micro amps still holds it's own - But I can never tell if he's referring to the stock m-stage or the modded/upgraded m-stage when he talks about it...
 
 
 

 
I think it's a fair review and that was definitely me. I'd be interested to know what you think of the Matrix M-Stage when you get it. I think there's a chance that I may prefer it over the Micro Amp, but who knows.
I may need to try another DAC before I upgrade my amp. The Micro Amp + HRT Music Streamer II makes some headphones with forward mids somewhat more fatiguing. Strangely enough, not the SR-225i (or Q701, but I don't find it's mids too forward).
 
The K400 and HD-598 are a little more fatiguing. If I use the Micro Amp alone, it's never an issue. I think both of these together with headphones with really forward mids could be a problem.
It's really annoying trying to figure out if it's just the track that's garbage or it's the DAC/Amp pairing. Maybe it's just revealing of how bad some of these garbage tracks are. Some of my crappy Cantopop music seems excessively bright on many headphones.
 
People say the HRT Music Streamer II is neutral, but doesn't quite seem that way. I still like it.
 

 
 

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

Hey fellow "Q" owners, what's your guys' serial number for your headphones? 
 
Mine is 04165...

my S/N is 05998
My mighty, mighty Q's are black.
Green was way too weird looking, I'm sure I would get the white version filthy in no time!
 
 
I'm thinking about getting a replacement cable???
 
 

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

my S/N is 05998
My mighty, mighty Q's are black.
Green was way too weird looking, I'm sure I would get the white version filthy in no time!
 
 
I'm thinking about getting a replacement cable???
 
 

 
I made two about 6 months ago and could barely tell the difference between them due to the internal wires still being there. Seems like it chops the improvements in half. On other headphones it's stupid easy to tell the difference. I made them with Mogami and Canare. I sat there for an hour and couldn't really tell any difference. Both use copper. I totally believe in cables too.
 
First one where it was fairly obvious was one Zombie_X loaned me that was made with silver plated copper. I liked it so much that I had him make one for me. Can't wait to get it! I actually prefer it to one made with Double Helix wire.
 
I still think the benefits from a Q701 recable are minor due to the stupid internal wire. You'd get a bigger benefit from say an HD-600 recable.
 
You can also buy one from Guitar-Cable.com for under $35. It's made specifically for the AKG headphones. The stock Q701 cable is actually really good unlike the Sennheiser stock wire.
 
I wonder if there is a company out there that will rewire a Q701 straight to the drivers? Maybe ALO? This would make the most improvement in sound.
 
 
 

 

[ZenErik]

Really enjoying my new Q701 cans even with my cheap FiiO E10 right now. I'll get a better amp within a few months.

There is no lack of bass to be had. I'm not sure what people mean when they complain about it. Sure, I've owned headphones with much more bass, but a lot of them have too much. Very deep extension. Plenty of impact without being overpowering.
 
I do have a complaint though. Maybe these need some "burn in", as they say. I don't have enough experience with quality headphones to know whether I believe in that process or not. The highs are a little fatiguing. Perhaps due to my poor FiiO E10 amp. Even the HD650s I had a few years back were fatiguing until I obtained a WooAudio WA6. The Firebox I had used as an amp until the WA6 arrived were very fatiguing to my ears. I'm feeling the same thing here.

 

[Rayzee]

Quote:

Really enjoying my new Q701 cans even with my cheap FiiO E10 right now. I'll get a better amp within a few months.

There is no lack of bass to be had. I'm not sure what people mean when they complain about it. Sure, I've owned headphones with much more bass, but a lot of them have too much. Very deep extension. Plenty of impact without being overpowering.
 
I do have a complaint though. Maybe these need some "burn in", as they say. I don't have enough experience with quality headphones to know whether I believe in that process or not. The highs are a little fatiguing. Perhaps due to my poor FiiO E10 amp. Even the HD650s I had a few years back were fatiguing until I obtained a WooAudio WA6. The Firebox I had used as an amp until the WA6 arrived were very fatiguing to my ears. I'm feeling the same thing here.

The HD650's as fatiguing? Wow. I never get fatigue using them for hours and hours using a DACport.
 
Anyways I bought the Q701 from a fellow head-fier and I'm eager to see how they do with a Yulong D100. Hopefully they pair up somewhat well.
 

 

[ZenErik]

Depends on the music, I suppose. When I'm listening to metal or more electronic pop that is mostly LOUD, I guess anything is fatiguing. I'll have to see how the Q701s and the FiiO E10 do with something a little more dynamic.
 
The HD650s were not very fatiguing once I had the Woo Audio WA6 to go with them, but the Firebox was a bit harsh on my ears.

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

Really enjoying my new Q701 cans even with my cheap FiiO E10 right now. I'll get a better amp within a few months.

There is no lack of bass to be had. I'm not sure what people mean when they complain about it. Sure, I've owned headphones with much more bass, but a lot of them have too much. Very deep extension. Plenty of impact without being overpowering.
 
I do have a complaint though. Maybe these need some "burn in", as they say. I don't have enough experience with quality headphones to know whether I believe in that process or not. The highs are a little fatiguing. Perhaps due to my poor FiiO E10 amp. Even the HD650s I had a few years back were fatiguing until I obtained a WooAudio WA6. The Firebox I had used as an amp until the WA6 arrived were very fatiguing to my ears. I'm feeling the same thing here.

It could be the E10. I was listening to my Q701 yesterday with the Total Airhead and I noticed the highs were a tad more fatiguing than when I have them connected to my desktop amp. Even a portable amp can make these quite listenable for short periods of time.
 

 

[ZenErik]

Yea, it's very possible. I'm looking to upgrade the amp pretty soon and just keep the E10 as a DAC until I can upgrade. After that I may keep it as a portable for when traveling with my laptop.
 
I've heard great things about the Matrix M-Stage pairing with the K/Q701's. I think that'll be a good starting point.

 

[chicolom]

Quote:

There is no lack of bass to be had. I'm not sure what people mean when they complain about it. Sure, I've owned headphones with much more bass, but a lot of them have too much. Very deep extension. Plenty of impact without being overpowering.
 
I do have a complaint though. Maybe these need some "burn in", as they say. I don't have enough experience with quality headphones to know whether I believe in that process or not. The highs are a little fatiguing. Perhaps due to my poor FiiO E10 amp. Even the HD650s I had a few years back were fatiguing until I obtained a WooAudio WA6. The Firebox I had used as an amp until the WA6 arrived were very fatiguing to my ears. I'm feeling the same thing here.

This is how I feel about the bass as well.  I don't understand the complaints about the bass.  It's perfect IMO.
 
You thought HD650s were fatiguing unless powered by a tube amp?  That sounds like a really dark combo that would put me to sleep.
 
 
The FiiO E10 is pretty smooth sounding.  I need just a bit more bite from my treble though, but I've got gear on the way that will give me that.
 
The Q701s are the most balanced and fatigue-free headphones I've heard.  I've never been able to listen to a pair of headphones for as many hours straight as I can with the the Q's.  All my other headphones have had some annoying glare in the mid-range, grainy or edgy treble, or a strange soundstage that gets to you after a few hours, but not these.  I can go all night listening and still not get tired after hours and hours of listening.  One of it's best traits.